Quick-release couplers are commonly used to expedite the attachment of air tools to air hoses by allowing a user to connect and disconnect such tools from hoses in a much faster manner than connecting the threaded end of an air hose to a threaded fitting on the tool. Quick release couplers are generally equipped with a self-sealing valve which automatically contains the compressed air in the hose when the coupler is connected or disconnected from a plug member connector attached to an air tool.
Many air tools, such as sanders and grinders, create dust and debris that need to be cleared from the object being worked. A common way to clear such debris is to use a blow gun to blow the debris from the workspace. Usually, this requires the user to disconnect the air tool and then connect a blow gun in its place. Although quick release couplers offer significant time savings over threaded and flanged connections, it nonetheless takes time to remove an air tool from the coupler, connect and use a blow gun, and then remove the blow gun and reattach the air tool. In addition, the user must also have a means to hold or store the air tool or blow gun when not in use. This is particularly problematic when the user is working in a difficult space, such as on a ladder or under a vehicle.
Prior attempts to combine a coupler with a blow gun, such as that taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,728, have resulted in somewhat bulky fittings that add a noticeable amount of weight over conventional quick release couplers, incorporate protruding nozzles that tend to catch on objects, and have exposed actuating buttons that are subject to inadvertent actuation of the valve that releases compressed air to the nozzle. There is a longstanding need in the field for a compact coupler blow gun that substantially maintains the profile and outer configuration of a quick-release coupler.